• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.29 no.5
• /
• pp.118-125
• /
• 2008

Objective :Ginseng is one of the most popular Oriental medicinal plants considered as a tonic worldwide. This study aimed to produce comprehensive understanding for immune-related pharmaceutical activities of Ginseng. Methods: We surveyed all literatures, 168 of immunity-focused papers with Ginseng in Pub-med, and analyzed pharmaceutical characters according to immune elements and Ginseng components. Results : The main functions of Ginseng have been associated with modulation of immunity. Whole body of Ginseng or its ingredients differently show the effects on both cellular and humoral elements of immune system. Ginseng enhances the activities of T and B lymphocytes, NK cells, macrophages and dendritic cells whileas suppresses mast cell-associated allergy and release of histamine. Conclusion : These results will provide Korean doctors or scientists an immune-related overview of Ginseng, and help them in clinical applications and developments of Korean Ginseng as a global competitive drug in world market.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.48 no.11
• /
• pp.1153-1161
• /
• 2005

As known by other name(natural immunity), the innate immune system comprises all those mechanisms for dealing with infection that are constitutive or built in, changing little with age or with experience of infection. Though in some ways less sophisticated than adaptive immunity, innate immunity should not belittled, since it has evidently protected thousands of species of invertebrates sufficiently to survive for up to 2 billion years. In the innate immune system, molecules of both cellular and humoral types are involved, corresponding to the need to recognize and dispose of different types of pathogen, to promote inflammatory responses and to interact to the adaptive immune system. A major features of innate immunity are the presence of the normal gut flora, complements, macrophages, dendritic cells, natural killer cells and many cytokines that can block the establishment of infection. Both phagocytic cells and complement system have tremendous potential for damaging host cells, but fortunately they are normally only triggered by foreign materials, and usually most of their destructive effects are focussed on the surface of these or in the safe environment of the phagolysosome. This article addreses the comprehensive mechanisms of the major components of the innate immune system to prevent the infection.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.3-12
• /
• 1993

This study was performed to investigate effects of dietary fat content and degree of saturation on the function of the immune system. Sixty male BALB/c mice average-weighing 17g were divided into three dietary groups: 5% safflower oil group, 20% safflower oil group, 19.3% beef tallow & 0.7% safflower oil group. Food intake and body weight were measured every day. At 4th, 7th, 10th week after dietary treatment, organ weight measurements, delayed-type hypersensitivity test, plaque forming cell test, agglutination test, differential white cell count and histological examination of spleen were performed. Results are follows; 1) Body weight, food intake and calorie intake were not different in the three dietary groups during the experimental period($\alpha$=0.05). 2) Liver weight was significantly higher in 5% safflower oil group($\alpha$=0.05). Spleen index was slightly higher in mice fed 5% safflower oil and 19.3% beef tallow & 0.7% safflower oil. Thymus index in all mice was decreased by aging. 3) Delayed-type hypersensitivity of the mice fed 5% safflower oil and 19.3% beef tallow & 0.7% safflower oil was significantly higher than that of the mice fed 20% safflower oil. 4) The number of plaque forming cell was significantly reduced at 10th week compared to 7th week in all group($\alpha$=0.05). Although there was no difference in plaque forming cell among three groups at 10th week, 5% safflower oil group showed slightly higher plaque forming cell than 20% safflower oil group at 7th week. 5) At 4th week, agglutination test seems to be higher in 5% safflower oil group and 19.3% beef tallow & 0.7% safflower oil group compared to 20% safflower oil group. 6) Percentage of neutrophil and eosinophil was slightly reduced in 20% safflower oil group. 7) Spleen tissue was not affected by and dietary treatments. According to our results, the higher the fat content & unsaturation of the diet the lower the cell-mediated immunity of the mice. Humoral-immunity did not appear to be affected by the dietary manipulation. However humoral-immunity was decreased significantly by aging in all dietary groups.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.3 no.1_2
• /
• pp.43-54
• /
• 1988

Experiment was performed to investigate the immunotoxicity of cadmium administered orally and the effect of ginseng petroleum ether fraction on it. Mice were given 3, 30, or 300 ppm cadmium as cadmium chloride orally in the drinking water and injection of ginseng petroleum ether fraction intraperitoneally for 4 weeks. Mice were sensitized and challenged with sheep red blood cells (S-RBC). Humoral immune response was evaluated by antibody production and Arthus reaction. Body weight gain, spleen weight, thymus weight, and liver weight were also measured. In the present study, cadmium generally suppressed the humoral immunity. There was decrease in the rate of body weight gain and liver weight to body weight by cadmium-administration. Ginseng petroleum ether fraction showed restoring effect, to some extent, on the decrease in PFC and in the rate of liver weight to body weight by cadmium-administration. But it more suppressed Arthus reaction.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.43 no.1
• /
• pp.48-54
• /
• 1999

Effects of zinc chloride (Zn) on the immune responses of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were studied by using ICR mice. Mice were divided into 4 groups (10 mice/group), and Zn was given to the mice with i.p. injection at 0.3 mg/kg 5 times a week for 14 days, and 1 hr after Zn administration, LPS was given with i.p. injection at 5 mg/kg twice a week. Mice were immunized and challenged with sheep red blood cells (SRBC). Immunobiological responses were evaluated by humoral, cellular and nonspecific immunity. LPS treatment significantly increased the relative weights of spleen and thymus, hemagglutination titer (HA) and proliferation of splenocytes compared with those in controls, but significantly decreased the body weight gain. Zn treatment significantly increased proliferation of splenocytes and circulating leukocytes compared with those in controls. Combination of Zn and LPS significantly decreased the body weight gain and proliferation of splenocytes compared with those in controls. Combination of Zn and LPS significantly decreased HA and proliferation of splenocytes than in LPS alone. These findings indicate that zinc lowered the humoral immune responses of LPS.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.8-17
• /
• 2012

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of severe lower respiratory tract diseases in infancy and early childhood. Despite its importance as a pathogen, there is no licensed vaccine against RSV yet. The attachment glycoprotein (G) of RSV is a potentially important target for protective antiviral immune responses. Recombinant baculovirus has been recently emerged as a new vaccine vector, since it has intrinsic immunostimulatory properties and good bio-safety profile. Methods: We have constructed a recombinant baculovirus-based RSV vaccine, Bac-RSV/G, displaying G glycoprotein, and evaluated immunogenicity and protective efficacy by intranasal immunization of BALB/c mice with Bac-RSV/G. Results: Bac-RSV/G efficiently provides protective immunity against RSV challenge. Strong serum IgG and mucosal IgA responses were induced by intranasal immunization with Bac-RSV/G. In addition to humoral immunity, G-specific Th17- as well as Th1-type T-cell responses were detected in the lungs of Bac-RSV/G-immune mice upon RSV challenge. Neither lung eosinophilia nor vaccine-induced weight loss was observed upon Bac-RSV/G immunization and subsequent RSV infection. Conclusion: Our data demonstrate that intranasal administration of baculovirus-based Bac-RSV/G vaccine is efficient for the induction of protection against RSV and represents a promising prophylactic vaccination regimen.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.19.1-19.10
• /
• 2023

Endemic human coronaviruses (HCoVs) have been evidenced to be cross-reactive to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Although a correlation exists between the immunological memory to HCoVs and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity, there is little experimental evidence for the effects of HCoV memory on the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. Here, we investigated the Ag-specific immune response to COVID-19 vaccines in the presence or absence of immunological memory against HCoV spike Ags in a mouse model. Pre-existing immunity against HCoV did not affect the COVID-19 vaccine-mediated humoral response with regard to Ag-specific total IgG and neutralizing Ab levels. The specific T cell response to the COVID-19 vaccine Ag was also unaltered, regardless of pre-exposure to HCoV spike Ags. Taken together, our data suggest that COVID-19 vaccines elicit comparable immunity regardless of immunological memory to spike of endemic HCoVs in a mouse model.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.468-475
• /
• 1992

This study was carried out to observe the effects of dietaryn-6, n-3 fatty acids and vitamin A levels on humoral immunity in rat. Sixty eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed 6 different experimental diets for 6 weeks. The diets were composed of 10% of either corn oil or fish oil with various levels of vitamin A ; deficient(12450 IU/kg diet) adequate(4000IU/kg diet) and excess(400,000 IU/kg diet) The weight of spleen from the excess vitamin A-fish oil group showed the lowest value of all the groups when spleen weight was expressed/100g body weight. The number of PFC to SRBC was not affected by dietary at type and vitamin A levels. Hemagglutination titers were significantly lower in fish oil groups compared to corn oil groups and the values of vitamin A deficient groups were lower than the ones of adequate and excess vitamin A groups. IgM contents is serum were significantly lower in fish oil groups than in corn oil groups. IgG contents were higher in fish oil groups than in corn oil groups and the highest levels was recorded in excess vitamin A-fish oil group which showed the smallest speen size. Light microscopical examination showed that spleen tissues of fish oil groups were well developed than those of the corn oil groups and vitamin A deficient and excessive groups showed poor development than the adequate groups. Therefore it is suggested that adequate amounts of vitamin A consumption is necessary for healthy individuals and fish oil intake along with excess vitamin A should be avoided in order to maintain immune function properly.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Veterinary Pathology Conference
• /
• 2003.10a
• /
• pp.44-44
• /
• 2003

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a member of the genus Morbillivirus and the family Paramyxoviridae [3]. CDV is known to induce immunosuppression in affected animals by disrupting both humoral and cellular immunity [3]. This often results in secondary opportunistic infections. Activated toxoplasmosis develops in dogs whose immune systems have been damaged by CDV [3]. (omitted)

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.183-187
• /
• 1986

Some of organophosphate pesticides which are the most heavily used in Korea, were examined for their effects on the murine immune system. Immunotoxicological assay parameters adaopted in this study were Arthus reaction for humoral immunity, delayed type hypersensitivity reaction for cell mediate immunity, carbon clearance for macrophage function and susceptiility to tumor challenge. Subchronic exposure of rodents to the pesticides resulted in the marked suppression of immune functions and enhancement of susceptibility to tumor challenge. Among the pesticides tested (fenitrothion, fenthion, diazinon and EPN), fenitrothion was the most suppressive in Arthus and delayed type hypersensitivity reaction.